Meet new customers with an online marketing strategy.

Reach a larger audience by making your brand more visible online.

6 Ways to make your website more user friendly

Make your website user friendly with good design and quality content.

An online presence is critical to your business’s success, but your website is one of millions and when someone lands on your website you need to make it count. With so much competition you have less than a minute to hook your potential customer before they wander off to another website that is easier to navigate.

Making your website effective is not about bright lights, bells and whistles, it’s about conveying your key messages and core product or service in a clear and concise manner.

So how do you do this? Here are six ways to make sure your website both user friendly and effective.

1. Start with a KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)

There is no need to wow your audience with animations, videos, revolving buttons, pop ups and the like – unless you are selling fireworks, then go crazy! These so called ‘wow’ factors are often enough to make you seasick and they distract the visitor from the core purpose of the website, which ultimately is to convert them into a paying customer.

Websites should contain an uncluttered design with no unnecessary design elements, and simple concise copy. For example Dropbox.com.

2. Navigation

You’ll be surprised how many websites aren’t easy to navigate. No one likes driving around a new neighbourhood without road directions, or Google Maps. The same goes for your website. Make it easy to navigate, make sure your buttons stand out by using contrasting colours to draw attention and ensure that every page has an easy menu to navigate. See our menu for example, we’ve included icons under each service

3. Content is king & queen

It important to write content that is simple, to the point and speaks to your target demographic. Many businesses are reluctant to pay professional copywriters. They see it as an unnecessary expense; but poorly written copy is like pepper spray to the eyes for anyone trying to decipher through your website.

Never put large blocks of text into your copy – it makes it difficult to read and can put readers off. Use sub-headings along with small concise paragraphs. Content must be well organized, using bold text and bullet points to make reading easier and emphasize key points.

While you write for the reader you also write for the search engines. Good looking copy that never gets read is like Cinderella staying home in her new dress – no one gets to see it. So content must take into account all keywords relevant to your business so customers can find you easily. If you want to improve your market share in search engines, such as Google, you should consider search engine optimisation (SEO).

4. Website must load quickly

So you have a great looking site that is easy to navigate with great content – perfect right? Not quite.

It’s no use having the greatest looking website if it takes forever to load. While internet speeds have improved in recent years not all websites load quickly, especially on mobile devices. A slow loading website may prompt customers to look elsewhere. Make sure your website loads fast and make sure you are hosting with a reputable company with reliable servers.

5. Go Mobile

The amount of people accessing the internet via mobile phones is soon set to overtake the amount of desktop visitors.

With Google favouring mobile friendly websites for mobile search queries, it is now more important than ever to make your website mobile friendly.

Titan Web can develop responsive websites, that respond according to the device being used, either desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile. Type in www.titanweb.com.au on your mobile and tablet and see how it responds.

6. Test your website thoroughly

There is nothing worse than browsing a website with broken links, images that don’t load or being unable to access what you want. It screams incompetency and says to potential customers that you don’t care enough about your digital image and probably don’t care too much about your business either.

Check your website thoroughly before going live. Make sure everything works like it should. Check it on multiple platforms and different websites. Try breaking it – if you can’t, chances are they can’t.

A website is a simple communication tool, an online brochure that is accessible by millions. It is many customer’s first introduction to your business. Make it count. Keep it simple, easy to navigate with well written content. Make sure it looks good and everything works. Follow these simple tips and you are on your way to converting browsers into customers.